


Re:Connect

by iceyly



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-14
Updated: 2012-07-14
Packaged: 2017-11-09 23:23:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/459637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceyly/pseuds/iceyly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One Shot, AU - She steps closer again, curious and she can feel her heartbeat quicken - it's been so long since she's had any company, anyone but the Wayfinder that connected her to those she loved, to talk to. This is the first time she's met anyone else in this place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Re:Connect

**Author's Note:**

> For Bix's prompt: Riku and Sora meet Aqua in the Realm of Darkness.

There is really no telling just how much time she has spent in this place, in this dark, dark realm, so far away from all that is light and familiar and home. There is no telling just how many of the residents of this place she has laid to rest with her Master's blade, just how many of those shadows have fallen to her spells - there is no real end to them she has discovered, always only more and more and more to come, yellow eyes gleaming as they slide across the floor or turn themselves into black smoke to evade her attacks, but even so she is relentless.

 

She won't let them defeat her, not when there are people waiting for her, because Ven is still asleep in the castle that was once their home and somewhere, _somewhere_ out there is Terra, surely still fighting on as he always has, just as she is now.

 

Their bond is her strength and the reason why she has managed to come this far, to wander through terribly familiar looking places that have been lost in the same dark as her, to call on Master Keeper again and again and again, as often as needed, as often as it takes.

 

She will return home one day.

 

Even so she's worried, time is passing by and by and while she can't tell much, she has a feeling that a shift occurred in the Realm of Light, one not too long after her arrival - just before she had stumbled across the first of the red eyed monsters - one much, much later, and it's after that second shift that she stops walking through the ruins of terribly familiar places and somehow that gives her hope.

 

And now, yet another shift occurred, one that seems to change even more... the creatures from the dark have started to lessen and somehow... somehow it is not quite as dark here as it was before it seems.

 

Maybe it's also because of whatever place she is approaching - it has been what feels like hours since the last attack, and that is really a welcome relieve - she's felt the ground change from rock to sand, but she is a little hesitant to trust the peace she feels upon hearing the not too far sound of waves washing ashore even though all she's heard in so long is the sound of her own footsteps and the cries of dark monsters attacking and falling.

 

She lets her hand glide along the smooth rock that rises from the ground - looking ahead from where she hears the waves - there is fog lingering in the air, but she can see the gleam of darkish light glowing at the horizon, and the closer she comes... it's almost like she's hearing quite voices talking, laughing even, and for just a moment she wonders if maybe she is going just a little crazy.

 

But no, as she follows them, she is starting to make out the form of two boys and for just one moment she is overcome by the memory of lighter days, because she sees the backs of her two dearest friends sitting on edge of the castle wall in the Land of Departure while gazing up to the stars, but then the image vanishes and that of two very different boys stays behind.

 

She steps closer again, curious and she can feel her heartbeat quicken - it's been so long since she's had any company, anyone but the Wayfinder that connected her to those she loved, to talk to. This is the first time she's met anyone else in this place.

 

There is somehow a feeling of familiarity lingering in the air and the closer she comes the more it's like she is standing in the sands of a very different beach, even though when the boys hear her approach and spot her among the rocks, there is wariness shining in their eyes and the one with the unruly brown hair jumps to his feet, maybe just a little defensive.

 

She stops just a few meters before them, a moment of silence lasting as she looks at them and feels herself be eyed in return (except for when the other boy's seagreen eyes flicker down to his side, his gloved hand curling into a fist, his expression tightening just a tiny little more as he tenses). But then that silence is broken by the first boy, whose stance suddenly shifts into something a little more relaxed, maybe just slightly awkward as he reaches up to scratch the back of his head. "Uhm... hey. We hadn't expected there to be anyone but us here."

 

She can feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears, her hand curling up over her heart as she tilts her head - they are so familiar, so similar to- ...and it's all just like it had been that time, she has to know, she has to know for sure, so before she can even think any more about it, that question is already tumbled off her lips: "...Could you two tell me your names?"

 

Heads turn in an instant as the two of them share a look and a sound of confusion - before the first one turns back to her, shrugging slightly. "Sure, I guess... I'm Sora."

 

It's like she is trapped in memory, because even though he is surely so much, much taller now, even though she can sense that what was once pure light is now strangely bizarre, but balanced mix of light and dark alike, there is still the quiet child from what must be over ten years ago, not quite ready to give up his name until she prompts him to: "Riku."

 

Her eyes widen just slightly as her hands both move up to touch to her lips, and she can feel a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth and tears that start to break free as she takes in their image again - they are sharing a look again, looking both quite confused by her reaction; they probably don't remember, but then again they had been both so young at the time - and when she steps closer, this time they aren't quite as tense.

 

"Hey... why are you crying? Is something wrong?" Sora asks as she takes another step, confusion and maybe just a little bit of worry on his face, but there is nothing to be worried about, not when they are both safe and strong and together and she can't help but reach to place her hand on his head and the other on Riku's, now truly smiling for the first time in very, very long as she sees the stunned confusion on their faces, before her strength leaves her and she falls to her knees right before them.

 

"There's nothing wrong," she whispers as she shakes her head, then lifts it, the tears still running down her cheeks, but even so she is just so very glad and she then she turns back to Sora, who has sat down in the sands again. "Looks like you kept your promise to me."

 

There is only confusion on his face at that and she can't help but giggle a little, one hand reaching up to touch to her lips again as she watches the boys share another look and the slight annoyance dawning on Riku's face. "You know, it would be polite to introduce yourself back."

 

"My name is Aqua," she says after a moment, still chuckling and she can't help but laugh when the annoyance continues to linger on Riku's face - he looks just like Terra does when he feels like he's being teased and doesn't quite know about what, and she really can't help herself but say it out loud: "You two look just like them."

 

Because they do and they don't, they look like the boys they once were and the friends she is missing and they look like themselves, so much older, so much stronger, so very different and yet the same.

 

There are stories to be told, many, so very many of them; she can feel the gleam of a Keyblade's power in Sora and she can't help but wonder just who had passed it to him, who had trained them both - had it been Mickey, maybe? Or had Terra reached them? - what had happened in all those years that had passed, are the worlds safe?

 

Neither of them really seems to have quite much of an idea what to do with her words, or just who she is referring to, but there is a flicker of recognition in Sora's eyes when he narrows them, scratching the back of his head again after a moment as he supplies: "So... we have met? You kind of seem familiar."

 

"Yes, we have... a long time ago." She is chuckling again, now reaching up to whip away her tears, her heart much lighter than she can remember it being for so very long, shifting to sit more comfortably, her hands settling in her lap as she takes a deep breath.

 

"I think... there is quite a lot for us to tell each other."

 

\--- Fin ---


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